The Ford Del Rio is a

full-size Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars. It is the largest size class for cars. In the United Kingdom, this class is referred to as ...

, six-passenger

station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...

that was produced by Ford in the United States for model years 1957 and 1958. The model was also marketed under the name Del Rio Ranch Wagon.

Description

The impetus for the creation of the Del Rio was Ford's desire to remain in the two-door sport wagon market started by the Chevrolet Nomad and

Pontiac Safari The Pontiac Safari is a line of station wagon, station wagons that was produced by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac from 1955 to 1989. Initially introduced as the Pontiac counterpart of the two-door Chevrolet Nomad, the division adopted the namepla ...

and the decision to discontinue the company's original attempt at a sport wagon, the premium Parklane, which failed to entice buyers during 1956, its only year in production. Four-way power seats were available. While the Nomad was Chevrolet's most expensive model, offering a premium vehicle with a show car-inspired body style, the Del Rio was strictly based on an existing product, the utilitarian two-door Ranch Wagon, Ford's least expensive station wagon, as part of the Custom 300 series. Beginning with the basic body, buyers of the Del Rio were offered a unique two-tone paint scheme (optional), better quality interior and exterior brightwork (including gold anodized aluminum accents) and a higher grade

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

upholstery. Del Rio buyers also had their choice of either Ford's “Mileage Maker” 144 hp six or its “Thunderbird” 215 hp, 312 cubic inch (5.1 litre) displacement Y-Block V-8. The Del Rio was equipped with 11-inch front drum brakes. Like all other Ford station wagons at that time, the Del Rio used a two-piece tailgate – a feature that dealers emphasized was an advantage over GM's steeply raked rear gate and self-storing window, which were known for water leaks in heavy rains. While Ford sold more Del Rios in 1957 (46,105) than Chevrolet did with its Nomad in its three years of production, Ford terminated the Del Rio program at the end of the 1958 model year after selling only 12,687 of its "sport wagons". Ford didn't entirely abandon the concept of a two-door station wagon, and used a smaller version with the all-new

Ford Falcon The Ford Falcon is an automobile nameplate by Ford Motor Company, Ford that applied to several vehicles worldwide. * Ford Falcon (North America), an automobile produced by Ford from 1960 to 1970. * Ford Falcon (Argentina), a car built by Ford ...

in 1960, offered in multiple bodystyles, including a two-door station wagon.

References

Del Rio Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Station wagons Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Cars introduced in 1957 Cars discontinued in 1958 1950s cars {{Classicpow-auto-stub